She's Always A Woman To Me
by The Retro Future
Summary: She's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen and all Arthur wants is to use everything in his power to make her happy. However the fact that she's Dom's new girl makes things a little difficult. Arthur/Mal,  Eventually Arthur/Eames
1. Chapter 1

**A Note:** Hello everyone. So, this is the first fic I'm posting. I hope you enjoy it. I'm trying to get back into writing more. Please feel free to tell me what you think! Of course, as you have guessed I don't own the characters.

* * *

><p>When Arthur first met her he had never seen a woman so beautiful in his entire life. Time stopped. His heart paused, forgetting to beat once, no, twice. It was like someone took the world out of focus except for her. A smile tugged her lips open in slow motion and she leaned in to kiss his cheek. The cool of her lips and the slight bit of warm breath he felt on his cheek sent a shiver through him. If he could have captured that moment to keep he would have been quite content. However, the instant their brief contact with one another parted the world snapped back into motion again.<p>

It wasn't like Arthur to just lose focus like that so easily, he composed himself and remembered he should smile in return and took her hand to kiss the back of her palm with that suave air he could muster up. She laughed slightly and then he saw Dom's arm slide around her shoulder and she leaned back to kiss the Extractor in a much more _familiar_ way.

"Arthur, this is Mal, my girlfriend."

His heart dropped, but his face showed no signs. Of course that would be the case. It was silly of him to even allow himself to have such a reaction. He simply nodded obediently and answered smoothly. "It is a pleasure to meet you Mal." She caught his eye and gave a small nod in return. He paused for a moment studying how she had looked at him. He could have sworn he saw something in that split second that suggested she had read him like the morning news and knew exactly how she had made his heart skip a beat.

He dismissed the notion of the idea. Pure optimism, if he had to say what had caused that thought process. He pushed away any thoughts of pursuing the woman. It simply wasn't meant to be, plus it would be horribly rude to even try anything considering Cobb was not only a coworker, but a dear friend. It just wasn't something you did.

A few weeks passed and Arthur had thought he had gotten over the jealousy of Dom's new girlfriend. After all he only saw her every few days and even if he did it was just for a few minutes before they went out to dinner or the movies and he was left alone to do research. However, one day Dom approached him with an idea: letting her work with them as a team.

"We could always use another person, if anything to stay awake and monitor us. Plus she's actually a pretty good Architect; we've built some amazing labyrinths." Dom really only talked about work or Mal now and it didn't bother Arthur, the man was in love. Who was he to say anything if there was the tiniest little sting of jealousy in his gut? They were happy and he could be an adult and bury his feelings like you're supposed to.

He finished writing something down on a form and turned to study Cobb. He was only bringing this up because he wanted to be around her more, Arthur knew that, but he also knew Cobb wouldn't compliment someone unless they actually had the talent to back it. He found himself nodding, even though he didn't particularly like the idea. It was for selfish reasons though. "Sure, I'm sure it would be a wonderful idea. I'll order enough Sominacin for three people to use with our training schedules." Cobb grinned at him while Arthur could only manage a rather forced tight lipped smile. The other didn't seem to notice, he was too preoccupied.

Months passed with Mal now on the team. Arthur was happy for them, even if it was forced sometimes. He had never seen Dom so happy in the entirety of their careers together. There was that and Mal seemed happy too. He liked that, it meant he got to see her smile, and it was still the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

However, he didn't have as much control on his feelings for her as he originally thought. It had been while Arthur was working on a way to tell them how long they had before kicks. He was tired of waking up too early or having far more time then he thought because they lost track of how long he was in a dream. He thought using music would give them a good idea of roughly how long they had till they woke. It should seep through into the dream, and you'd get a vague idea how long you'd have.

He had stayed up late one night going through his iTunes playlist on his laptop trying to find something he felt would work for him to experiment with. As much as he loved classical he wanted something with words. The instruments would just distort in the dream and could be mistaken for background noise so if there were words it would be easier to focus on.

It wasn't until he was already halfway through the song that he had realized it was about her. Well, he really doubted Billy Joel wrote "She's Always a Woman" _about_ Mal. But for his understanding of the song, as his own emotions he had been struggling with, it was about her. Once the song finished he stared at the player for a few moments, face washed in the pale light of the computer. This was more than he ever intended it to be. His eyes shut and he leaned his forehead into his hand.

"Fuck."

The next day he pitched the idea to Cobb and Mal. They seemed rather receptive to the idea and said they'd try it. "What song is it if you don't mind my asking Arthur?" Mal caught his gaze. Arthur quickly turned his eyes away from her, he never did keep eye contact long, he couldn't manage to because every time he looked at her he thought he saw a small flicker, just this little speck of mischief that practically called his name. He knew he had to be insane to keep seeing that. As he always did he buried it away. "She's Always A Woman" by Billy Joel." He answered plainly and turned away from them to get his iPod set up.

So they tried it and it worked out wonderfully. They even started using it on a regular basis. It was not long after Arthur had started using the music that Mal had suggested the Totems, just as an anchor to reality. Because it was so swiftly after implementing the music he had always secretly credited himself for inspiring her. Mal had smirked at him right after she proposed her idea a few weeks later. Only explanation he had.

It was later that year when Mal approached him, perching herself in the doorway to his room and watched him work a few moments before speaking. "You picked that song for me didn't you Arthur?"

He almost dropped his pen, heart racing, his back rigid, he didn't dare turn around. "I don't know what you mean." He spoke with a paced meter so he didn't give away just how much he was panicking.

She moved across the room to where he was sitting and leaned to sit on the corner of his desk. "For the countdown to the kick. The song you picked, you picked it for me didn't you?" She sounded so casual about it. How could she sound so calm about it? She should be infuriated, he should be ashamed of himself, and yet there she sat asking him as if he was about to give her the time of day.

He'd never had to lie to Mal before. And now Arthur was now faced with the (probably more intelligent) option to do so. However, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Almost like an obedient dog who didn't want to disappoint his master he nodded slowly. "I did." There was no guilt in his voice, though he well knew there should have been.

She was smiling; a wry little smile that he had never seen before and it sent a small shiver through his body. God, if she wasn't with Cobb the things he could have done right then and there. But he kept that internal, nothing more than a quick dilation of his pupils for a split second was all that suggested anything was even wrong.

"It's sweet." She leaned to kiss his cheek as she was standing up. He almost swore it was on purpose that she caught the corner of his mouth. She was out the door by the time Arthur had turned to watch her leave.

That night he had his teeth clenched around a pillow to stifle the moans that were quickly working their way up his throat. Hair was out of place and sticking to his temples and forehead as his hand pumped over his aching erection. His chest fluttered as he was gasping trying to maintain any semblance of normal breathing. His eyes were pressed firmly shut and his mind's eye was creating an image of that smile he had seen earlier in the night: Mal looking up at him with that little smirk before her lips parted to slip around his cock.

His hand was hardly a proper substitute for what he should be feeling in order to match that image he had created. A short strangled whimper made it past his lips as his hips jerked forward into his fist. Arthur had quite the filthy mouth when he took care of himself. All sorts of colourful collections of filth spilled from his mouth in a tone hardly above a hoarse whisper. He would be quite the sight to behold, thin pale body writing against the sheets as his fingers worked over his own delicate flesh that was flushed a vibrant shade of pink.

Arthur's jaw fell slack as he arched rather gracefully up off the bed, hips stuttering into his hand as he came. He relaxed back on the bed, hand and stomach warm and sticky. His face still contorted to something that resembled extreme concentration he was just beginning to relax and his chest was heaving in attempt to catch his breath. He should be so ashamed of himself and yet, as he slowly walked to the bathroom to clean himself up, he simply couldn't be bothered with that emotion.


	2. Chapter 2

**A Note:** Alright here is the next chapter! I look forward to seeing what you think of this chapter. Please enjoy.

* * *

><p>Months passed and Arthur spent many a night like that, the image of Mal changing every so often to some other unobtainable fantasy. He was okay living with that. As long as he had some form of outlet for himself he would be content watching her and Cobb as long as she was happy. She was a piece of artwork hidden behind a glass at one of the many museums. He could look and admire and study her all he wanted but there was no way to touch her.<p>

Arthur had hardly expected her to ask him about it. Cobb was out and he was working on cleaning and maintaining the PASIV when she pulled a chair up beside him. She watched him for a few moments and he tried not to watch her out of the corner of his eye. Arthur was the first to speak.

"Are you interested in learning how to do this?" He asked with eyes still focused on his task, fingers meticulously working over every detail of the machine to check it. Mal chuckled lightly and shook her head. "No, I had something to ask you actually." Arthur placed his work aside and lifted his eyes to meet hers to show she had his undivided attention.

"Have you ever wanted to try something but you knew you shouldn't because no matter what the outcome of it, someone was bound to get hurt?" There it was and there was no mistaking it. All those looks that he had done a double take on, every smile that he thought he saw turn slightly devious, much like a child holding some special secret. Each one of them had now been proven to him. It wasn't just a trick of the light or wishful thinking.

"Well, yes on occasion." he admitted quietly and continued speaking. "But I've never allowed myself to act on such impulses."

His eyes were locked with hers; he couldn't bring himself to look away this time. So much was said in the silence that followed that statement. Their eyes communicated some secret agreement that was never to be spoken out loud, just understood. They would try this, but not cross any lines. They wouldn't let it get too far. By no means did he want to ruin a perfectly good relationship, however; if this is what she wanted and it would make her happy there seemed to be no reason why he couldn't.

Mal leaned forward with no warning and Arthur's lips soon caught hers. Their mouth's pressed hungrily together as if they needed the other as much as they needed oxygen. She let out a moan that muffled itself on their kiss. Arthur managed to gain entrance to her mouth and he slid his tongue to fully taste her trying to remember every detail of this that he could. His heart was pounding by the time her fingers wound around his tie to pull him closer.

The front door unlocked and they were back to their tasks by the time Cobb returned. Nothing was off at all accept Arthur's shirt was a little more wrinkled than he usually kept it, but Cobb was too busy giving Mal a new bracelet to notice. He should have been terrified of Cobb catching what had happened or ashamed he had even done that, but all he felt was relief and perhaps a small twinge of jealousy.

A week into their affair Arthur was pacing, one hand pressed to his chin and brow creased in thought. Mal had come up behind him and slipped her hands over his shoulders to rest on his chest. He stopped and felt her press against his body, nuzzling into his neck. He always liked when she did that. "What are you thinking about?" She questioned in a way, so innocent and pure, that he dropped his shoulders a fraction and turned around to take her face into his hands.

"If we are going to keep doing this Mal…." He paused and she kept her eyes locked on his just waiting to hear him out before she responded. He sighed before continuing. "I think it's better if we don't sleep together. Trust me, it's not for my lack of wanting to, it's just… I see how happy you are with Cobb. I don't want to ruin that. I don't know how long we will last. If it's just a fling we're having, fine, it'll be that and when it's over we won't speak to anyone about it again. If we have sex it's going to start getting messy and I for one don't want to steal you away from a man who rightfully had you first and has done nothing but make you smile."

She nodded understanding what he said, her hands wrapped loosely around his wrists. "I know that…but what if-"

He gave her a bit of a look that silenced her. It wasn't anything cruel or demanding. "We'll get to the "ifs" when we get there." Mal nodded and he leaned down to kiss her into a smile, her hands moving to rest on his throat and slowly caressed his skin.

They were very secretive about their affair. Not to mention careful to cover any evidence they could possibly leave behind. He'd take her out for coffee occasionally; there was even a time or two they got a chance to go to the movies. Once he took her dancing and to Mal's surprise he was a superb ballroom dancer. However, most of it consisted of when Cobb left for some reason and they would be on one another, clinging, pulling, grinding and just _living_ off each other for whatever time they had until Cobb returned.

Over a year had passed and Cobb had never known. Arthur knew it was an odd way to live but he was somehow comfortable with his little secret. True, there were many times where he was tested to break their vow of celibacy, but he never did. He knew he couldn't live with that amount of guilt if he did sleep with her. Arthur just counted himself lucky it had gone on this long.

They came in that morning looking a lot brighter than usual and Arthur looked up grinning over at them. "You both are in a rather cheerful mood." He commented, but he couldn't take his eyes off just how radiant Mal looked but it faltered for an instant when her eyes met his.

"We're engaged." Cobb responded with a lighthearted laugh and Arthur's chest froze up as if someone was trying to squeeze the air out of him.

"Oh. Well. Congratulations." It was so hard to make that sound sincere, so hard that it actually hurt him to say. He glanced back to Mal who couldn't quite meet his eyes. He excused himself saying he had some paper work to do. It shouldn't hurt this much. He should have known it would come to this, that it would all end at some point. Arthur had always known that, it was just a truth he chose to forget.

Mal found him later that night. Neither of them had been able to sleep and Arthur was in the kitchen working on drinking a mug of room-temperature tea. He preferred it hotter, but he had been caught up in thoughts and emotion. He didn't even notice that he had tugged away from her placed her hand on his arm.

"I'm sorry Arthur."

"Don't be." He responded, eyes focused on his drink. "We both went into this knowing it couldn't be forever. So it ends, we move on. We are both intelligent and adaptable adults, so we adapt. That's what we do," he explained quietly, voice void of any emotion. He didn't dare let it seep in; because the instant he let any amount of how he felt into his voice that would be the end of him.

"It doesn't have to end." She tried to say, hand reaching to caress his jaw so she could turn him to look at her. Arthur just stared at her, lips thin and drawn into a line.

"Yes it does, you are engaged to get married. I think that would be cause to stop an affair." He can't help but place a hand on her cheek.

She shook her head a hand resting on his. "There is a way. We stop at the wedding. We have until then; I owe you that much for not telling you."

Arthur couldn't help but feel it was actually a selfish reason she wanted that. To him it was just prolonging the inevitable. Still somewhere in that year he had lost the ability to deny her anything. He never lost that feel of a puppy just trying to please his master the best he could. Even when this ended he'd probably still treat her like that. "Alright." He gave in and she kissed the palm of his hand. "We have until the wedding."


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: **This chapter does get a little hot and steamy. Just as a warning. I do hope you all enjoy this chapter. Any feedback, as always, is welcome

* * *

><p>It was the night before the wedding and Mal had given reason to be alone. She explained to Dom it was bad luck to see the bride on the day of the wedding so she told him she would stay with Arthur for the night. Again Arthur couldn't deny her and they were lying in bed, her head rested on his chest and her eyes just watching him as she listened to the man breath. Neither of them had even undressed. He was still in a shirt, trousers and a waistcoat, although his tie was removed and his sleeves were rolled up. She was in a simple black cocktail dress.<p>

"Arthur?"

Her voice was calm and quiet and he lifted his head to look down at her. "Yes Mal?" She shifted so that her body was still to one side of his, but she had one arm supporting herself on the bed right beside his chest on either side and was hovering over him. "You have wanted to sleep with me haven't you? In all this time we've been together, we've never had sex… but you've wanted it right?"

Arthur couldn't help but feel his chest tighten. He wasn't sure about this conversation and where it could lead. "Yes. I've wanted to, many times." He left it at that and she searched his face.

"I know you said you didn't want things to get messy, but I am getting married tomorrow." She frowned just slightly and he gracefully arched a brow. "I need to make sure I'm making the right choice, that marrying Dom isn't a mistake."

Arthur was delayed in reacting to that. Slowly his brows knitted together and he wet his lips. "Mal…" He began, almost sad in his tone. "You are asking a lot of me." He tried to explain and his chest ached heavily, like something was trying to claw its way out to scream at him that he shouldn't care, that he should take the chance because it damn well was going to be his last.

"I know I am." She leaned and pressed a kiss to his cheek and it still sent the same shiver through him like it did the day he met her. "But I need to be sure I am making the right choice. Please?" That did it. That was what broke him in and he nodded, taking her face in his hands and pressing into a kiss. He carefully leaned her back into the bed and manipulated himself between her legs.

Mal was holding onto his shoulders, her legs readily shifted to make room. She arched her body and pressed into his, which earned her a small gasp from Arthur. She hadn't expected it but Mal wasn't about to complain. He slid his tongue into her mouth, trying to soak up her taste so he'd never have to forget it and then a thought hit him.

He pulled back from the kiss, panting, his eyes darker than usual and just a few hairs on his head misplaced. "What's wrong?" She asked in a hushed tone and she couldn't quite understand why she felt the need to whisper.

"Nothing." He responded quietly and she just smiled, perhaps a little mischievously.

"That look suits you Arthur."

Arthur chuckled lightly and started to slide backwards. "Does it now?" He pressed a few delicate kisses to her neck before stopping to nip at her collarbone, eyes glancing upward just once. Mal brought a hand to smooth over his hair and come to rest on his neck.

"What are you doing?" She questioned with the slightest hint of a laugh in her tone.

"You'll see." He replied smoothly. "Just wait."

He continued to work his was downward, tugging her dress with his teeth. Mal raised a brow, though she had an idea what he was after. Her legs shifted a little wider to give him room as he moved to lie between them. Arthur lifted one of her legs to rest on his shoulder and carefully separated the dress so he could move to kiss his way up her thigh. This earned him a small yet satisfying gasp. Mal hadn't said it but there was something so oddly erotic about the fact that neither of them were undressed.

Arthur was always one to be meticulous in doing things properly and this would be no different. His lips worked up Mal's inner thigh and she replied with a few soft groans. He worked his mouth as close to her as he could without touching. One of his hands brushed over her leg with a feather-light touch, barely even making contact with her skin. He could practically feel the heat of arousal pouring off her.

He hesitated a moment, mostly checking with himself that _he_ wanted this. Of course he did. He had for quite some time. If he had just one night Arthur was going to make sure it counted. Exhaling slowly over Mal, he felt the shudder travel through her legs before he pressed his lips against her.

His tongue teased and tormented her, just tracing lazily around her entrance. Mal's hand slid to rest on the silk of her dress that was covering his head. "Oh!" It was a small but surprised sound, but he made note of it. The flat of Arthur's tongue was brought to lap slowly at her clit which made her twist under him, her one heel digging into his back trying to push him closer.

One hand drifted over her leg and worked itself to settle under his chin. With a bit of maneuvering he was able to slowly slide two fingers into her as his tongue worked against her sensitive skin. Mal moaned, hips arching upward to press closer to his mouth and to press his fingers deeper into her. She couldn't help the way her hand curled tightly against his head through the fabric of her dress or how her eyes were fluttering to only allow her snapshot images of the room around her.

His fingers started to slide in and out of her, always curling upward just before he pulled them back away. His mouth was alternating between sucking gently against her clit and using the flat of his tongue to flicker in determined movements that got quite the array of sounds out of her. Arthur was actually quite proud of himself to say the least. He was determined to see this to its end. They had all night after all.

His tongue was working a little faster against her trying to coax out more of those lovely sounds. Mal felt herself tightening around his fingers and she gasped. "Mon Dieu-" she bit down on her lip, hand twisting tighter against her dress. "Please…a-ah.. Please… _Dom _don't stop." Arthur managed to keep rhythm he'd set but his chest ached. It was a heavy pain, but no he didn't stop. Arthur didn't stop in the middle of a job, any job.

Mal continued to moan and arch almost as if she was stuck in some sort of dance. Even in ecstasy she was graceful and precise with her movements. Her eyes were still firmly shut, lips parted while she panted and still a few more words slipped lose. "Ah! Dom! S'il vous plait…." Arthur doubted she was even aware at this point of what name she was using.

Soon enough she was coming, clenched around his fingers and calling out her fiancé's name though he wasn't there. Each time he heard it he had to fight back the urge to wince. Once she relaxed on the bed again he drew away from her, fingers cleaning themselves on the sheets (he would wash them in the morning) and he brought the heel of his hand to his lips to wipe them dry. Their eyes met and she didn't say a word. They both just knew. She was making the right choice marrying Dom Cobb.

Arthur quietly collected himself and stood watching her. He turned slightly and he heard her sit up in the bed. "Arthur." He froze hearing his name, back rigid. "I'm sorry." He was going to answer with an 'It's okay' but, it really wasn't. His chest still ached and he couldn't quite understand why he was so surprised. He just stayed silent, but he waited in case she had anything else to say.

She did. Mal shifted out of the bed and placed a hand delicately to his back, right between his shoulders, her fingers resting on his spine. "Tonight…" she started out and he could feel her moving closer. Arthur wasn't sure he wanted that and yet he still lacked the ability to deny her what she wanted. He just held still and waited, trying not to be too stiff. "What happened between you and me…" She leaned to place a tender kiss to his neck and lifted her head so that her lips were hovering by his ear. "I'll regret nothing of this night. Nothing at all and neither should you."

He gave a small nod and she turned his head slowly, just one last kiss. It was slow, paced and delicate. Arthur felt himself drift away from her hands. He'd sleep on the couch, she could keep his bed for the night and they'd go to the wedding in the morning as if none of this had ever happened.

The wedding was small and simple but possibly one of the most beautiful ones Arthur had ever seen and he stood by Cobb's side as his best man. He had managed to numb himself to the events of last night and it amazed Mal how calm he seemed to be the whole time. Personally she wouldn't have been offended if he decided not to attend, and yet he was there. He was still as devoted to her as ever. It seemed like that was just the way it was going to be.

During the reception Arthur had gone to the band to make a request to play a song. He drifted through the people on the dance floor, side stepping a few couples who had forgotten the world around them at the current moment. Arthur moved till he had found Mal and Dom and he smiled at them lightly. "Mind if I steal your wife for one dance?" He questioned rather casually all things considered and Cobb nodded handing Mal over into Arthur's hands.

She did smile, although it was a little different then the type of smile any bride wore, it was slightly concerned but hidden under quite a few layers, however Arthur had learned to decipher those layers by now. "It's okay. I just wanted one dance." Mal nodded placing a hand on his shoulder as the band started playing.

"Arthur…" She spoke just above the music. Perhaps it shouldn't have been surprising that it was "She's Always a Woman", and drifting over the floor he lead her in their dance. Just like the day he had met her, the world moved out of focus and it was just the two of them existing in the room. He moved to press his own head to the side of hers, eyes shutting as he sang along with the words, barely above a whisper but she could hear him well enough and was hanging on each word.

They swayed in step, her hand tightened on his shoulder. "And she'll promise you more than the Garden of Eden, then she'll carelessly cut you and laugh while you're bleedin'." He didn't have to look at her to know the line of the song made her frown, but he just moved the hand that was on her hip to tilt her head up so he could lock eyes with her before continuing the verse. "But she'll bring out the best and the worst you can be. Blame it all on yourself, 'cause she's always a woman to me."

Mal couldn't help the smallest little laugh, her eyes were damp but she wasn't going to let herself cry. The song eventually drew to a close and she was leaning on his shoulder by that point. As everyone applauded the band Arthur drew her face into his hands and kissed her forehead. "Thank you." And with that he led her back to her husband and drifted into the party, not to be seen again that night.

By the next morning he had picked a different song to countdown their kick, a lovely little tune by Edith Piaf.


	4. Chapter 4

**Note: **At last! The new chapter. I hope you all are excited. Finally we get to add a little bit of Eames into the mix.

* * *

><p>Through the years Arthur was there. He was the one calming Dom out of a panic when Phillipa was born. It never would have shown, but he was perhaps just as nervous as that little girl's father. He was there to watch her when Mal and Dom wanted to go out for a night and couldn't find a babysitter. He found out before Dom that she was pregnant with James, if only because she had asked him to buy the test for her since both she and Dom were working late on a job. Arthur was there when James was born too, and he watched both of the kids on occasion.<p>

Given he possibly wasn't the _best_ person in the world to deal with children, but he managed just fine. That and he did love it when they called him 'Uncle Art' because Arthur was just too long to say. He loved them none-the-less and he still went out of his way to make sure Mal was happy. It wasn't an uncommon sight for the couple to come home and find Arthur passed out in an arm chair, James sleeping on his chest while Phillipa was curled into his side under one of his arms. Arthur was dead asleep, hair fallen from its place and his face looked worn and tired but happy.

And Arthur had been the first one Dom spoke to after she killed herself. Although he did believe the man and the story of how this had happened, he couldn't help but feel just the smallest twinge of anger, no it was more than that. He was furious at his friend and it was eating away at his insides. He couldn't help but want to blame Cobb for this; all in all it _was_ his fault. Still Arthur didn't hint at any of his anger.

Once he made sure Cobb was settled and knew the man wasn't going to do anything stupid, he made some calls. It was because of Arthur he even had that chance to get out of the country and Arthur went with him. He wasn't sure if it was because Dom shouldn't be alone or because _he_ didn't want to be alone, even as angry as he was at the man. He wasn't going to let himself hold a grudge; Cobb would never have intentionally done something to hurt her. He just needed somewhere to place the blame.

Months passed and they eventually got back to working again, smaller jobs for the time being. Cobb refused to build anything so it was up to Arthur to fill the place as their Architect. It wasn't his area of expertise but he managed, though his mazes were never quite as complex as Cobb and Mal's had been. He relied heavily on paradoxes to trap people.

He had noticed Cobb's projection of Mal before Cobb ever did. And they spent weeks training on just how to deal with that. They argued. They fought. Sometimes they got to the point of physical blows, but they got through it and Cobb got to a point that it was at least _manageable_ but she was still a threat.

Arthur never spoke to her if he could help it. It wasn't actually her. She was just a lonely shade of the person she used to be. The painting he had once seen her as was now just a reproduction that hardly captured the vibrancy of the original. Nor was she anything like the way _he_ remembered her. She was how Cobb had seen her. All of _Cobb's_ memories piled into an illusion. So, there was no possible way she'd know about the affair, about how much he still did love her despite knowing she could never return it. He thought it would be better to just avoid speaking with the projection or even acknowledging it if he could.

He met Eames through a friend of a friend. Of course he did his research on the man first before he took Cobb with to meet him. They needed a forger for their first bigger job that they were going to try since Mal was gone. Arthur would be the Architect because Cobb refused. He was nowhere near as good as Cobb or Mal for that matter but it would suffice, it was a small job as it was.

Arthur couldn't really make a judgment on Eames. Initially, he found the man crass, and to be frank, a pain in the ass. Usually the Point Man, now turned semi Architect, could deal with someone batting their eyelashes at him and he would respectfully decline any propositions given to him, but this, _this_ was insufferable.

"You know what you need?"

"Please do enrich my life with what advice you can offer after knowing me for a day and a half Mr. Eames."

"You need a good fuck."

And Arthur left the room after that, one hand pressed to his temple as he walked. He got a wolf whistle and he did lower himself to the level of flipping the man off before he shut a door behind him. How did people like Eames even keep their jobs? He supposed it made sense why the man was freelance. No one could live around that.

Arthur spent most days speaking as little as possible to Eames and he tried to keep it only to business before the man could start making offhanded topics about how good he looked in a waistcoat and other uses for his tie than residing around his neck. Arthur remained professional and ignored it all, as much as he stayed up many a late night taking his frustration out in other methods.

As infuriating and abrasive as Eames was, once he saw the man work he had to say he was impressed. He knew of the profession of Forging, but he never met someone who used it actively. They had never needed it in the missions where it was just three of them, so Arthur had to admit he was fascinated by the detail put into recreating a person.

A few days after they finished the job Arthur approached Eames, who had yet to book a flight to head back to wherever it was he was living. It was late at night and Eames was out on the porch smoking. He looked surprised to hear the glass door slide open and then confused that it was Arthur standing there.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, my dear stick in the mud?"

Arthur didn't dignify him with an answer to that he just shut the door and motioned for him to pass the cigarette. Eames did but he raised a brow watching Arthur for a few moments. He had to say watching the man casually take a drag off his cigarette gave the Forger quite a few wonderful images. He reached to take it back once Arthur finished his drag and was slowly exhaling a plume of smoke against the night sky.

"I didn't know you smoked."

"When the fancy hits me I have been known to take up a few vices."

"So, you out here for a reason or have you resorted to speaking with me because Cobb's asleep?"

Arthur sighed and turned his gaze to search Eames' face. He furrowed his brow slightly almost surprised with himself for what he was about to ask. "When you forge someone does the person have to be currently alive?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Note: **Here it is! The final chapter! I hope you all have enjoyed the story as much a I enjoyed writing it. Reviews are most welcome and thank you again for all of your encouragement!

* * *

><p>Eames did a stunning job; every last detail Arthur had described was there. Given the pictures he had of her did help. The Forger smirked in Mal's skin and did a little turn, very much like a runway model. He seemed pretty pleased with himself. However Eames had one thing he still didn't know, to keep from outright petrifying Arthur he used one of his catalogued voices for women to use when speaking to him. He doubted his own voice coming out of this lovely creature's body would be comforting by any extent.<p>

"So, you never did say anything about what she sounded like… or was it that you didn't intend on me to be talking." He raised a brow and a little hint of a devious grin found his lips as he watched Arthur. The man who was normally so calm and collected looked _just_ a little off balance and he liked that.

"She was French. Her voice was silky smooth and had the very essence of life in it."

"You had it bad for her didn't you?" If looks could kill Eames would have just suffered one of the most painful deaths he had ever experienced in his life. Eames just smiled and sauntered his way over dropping into an attempt at the woman's voice and pressed his hands to Arthur's chest. "Tell me what you want me to do."

Unfortunately they couldn't have sex in the way a man and a woman usually would. Eames explained that Forging was a lot like heavy makeup and prosthetics. Yes, he could recreate breasts or hips because it was building on what he already had. Or, for instance, if the Forger was female she could hide her chest, much like binding. However when it came to genitalia being a man put you at a disadvantage. While a woman could craft a penis he could only create the outward appearance of a vagina.

"Basically it's like this darling; you can't stick something where there never was a hole to begin with."

So they were stuck to alternate methods, and perhaps Arthur ended up with the short end of the stick. He got Eames to agree to this only because he said he'd sleep with him. He hadn't counted on this. He'd suck it up and deal with it, wasn't like he hadn't been with a man before, it had just been a while

Arthur had told Eames about the night he recalled that one smile and how he had always fantasized about how wonderful her mouth must have been. Eames didn't even question Arthur, he just lowered himself to his knees and hands carefully worked his belt loose, one palm rubbing slowly at him through his trousers. He recalled how Arthur looked just slightly off when he had smiled at him in this body, so naturally Eames pulled that devious little smirk again as one hand lowered the zipper of his trousers and slid its way under the fabric of his pants.

It was enough to cause Arthur to need to sit on the end of the bed in the hotel room that the dream had manifested as. His mouth was dry as Mal (well he knew it was Eames but he chose to ignore that) worked him free of his pants and started to stroke his length slowly. Arthur's breath was short and eyes wide and watching every movement she made.

Her head bobbed over him with a slow and teasing rhythm and Arthur was quickly dissolved into moans and breathless praises. His hand pushing hair back from her face so his head could bow and he could drink the image in. For once the type of pleasure he was receiving matched up perfectly with the image in front of his eyes.

Eames had to admit he was pretty impressed with the sounds he was getting out of Arthur. He hadn't pegged him for one to make so many lovely noises. It was almost like an orchestra of perfectly timed moans balanced out with a low rumble of a groan and a name that wasn't his. Eames hadn't expected to hear his own name, that would be asking a little much at this rate.

Arthur was heavy in his mouth as his tongue pressed circles into the man's delicate flesh earning him little gasps and occasionally the tightening in the hair of the woman who was alive for him for one more night.

"Oh _God_ Mal! Fuck…nngh _yes…_"

The 'yes' was more or less a hiss and his hips tried to lift off the bed but hands held him down. He was only able to give a small whine in warning to his quickly approaching orgasm. When he reached it, Eames swallowed what he could before wiping his lips carefully and looking up to Arthur. The Point Man barely had his eyes open and he looked all out of place. Eames didn't think it was a horrible look for him.

"Was it good for you?"

Arthur had half a mind to slap the Forger, but he didn't have the strength at the moment.

This went on for a while, around a month or so. Every few days Arthur would call Eames to say they had some training to run. Eames would show up, they'd go into a dream and he'd already be Forged as Mal. Arthur was also kind enough to return everything, orgasm for orgasm, even if he was a little lackluster about it at times, but beggars can't be choosers.

Arthur hadn't meant for this to develop into anything. However; one time he recalled actually calling Eames' name while in a fit of passion. Funny how this time his feelings crept up on him. He wouldn't have expected to feel this way about anyone anytime soon, not to mention to have those emotions directed at _Eames_ of all people.

He left for Mombasa in the morning. Arthur should have known better. He should have seen this coming and it shouldn't hurt as bad as it did. He couldn't even follow him out there and he had an idea that he didn't want to be followed, so Arthur tightened his jaw and he carried on putting that all behind him. He never did get Mal's voice right or the smell of her skin. Really it was ridiculous anyway, sleeping with the Forger if only to relive the past. When had he lost sight of himself and let that happen?

So Arthur returned to his collected and cool nature. He focused on his jobs, every detail he could manage. It was easier for him to just immerse himself in his job than actually face a flurry of emotions he had always thought himself in control of. This time he smiled less and less and he even retracted from Cobb a bit, but they were still friendly on occasion. Sometimes they'd go out to dinner on a game night and just sit in a bar until the match ended. Yet, there was some sort of wall that both men now had up around themselves. It was something neither one of them spoke about, it was just accepted.

To say that he was surprised to be working with the man again when it came to the job Saito had them on would be a lie. The tension was worse than the first time he had met Eames. The Forger treated him as if _nothing_ had happened, as if Arthur hadn't finally opened himself to potentially finding a - to some extent - proper relationship, or as if it was normal to be sleeping with someone and just up and leave one morning.

Then again, the logical man Arthur was he could explain those reasons. Eames didn't know that he was beginning to entertain the idea of finding someone for a proper relationship. Not to mention things became so much more personal when it stopped being about fulfilling a form of fantasy he couldn't otherwise obtain and it became about the man who was creating that illusion for him.

What surprised him even more was the fact he found that very same man to be moving in with him. It was supposed to only be until he figured out where he'd be going to next. But two weeks turned into a month, which turned into half a year. And when they had sex and Arthur moaned Eames' name he didn't find his bed cold in the morning.

It was a rather comfortable life and Eames wasn't as disorganized as he would have pegged the man to be. Arthur had to admit he was rather content like this, not that he openly advertised his relationship with Eames to anyone on the team because he'd never hear the end of it, even if they were all living their separate lives for the time being. It was something private and not their business as far as he was concerned. However, he had to be realistic, they would eventually find out. If not because they were a group of highly intelligent people, it would be because Eames couldn't keep his mouth shut and liked to gloat.

It wasn't often that Arthur asked Eames to Forge Mal for him, but occasionally he still did. He still had some sort of devotion to the woman. Almost like a first true love. Arthur wasn't sure if it was that and he didn't care to think about it long enough to figure it out. It had been whatever it had been and he was happy with some internal understanding that didn't have a specific word to label it. And for a man like Arthur, it was saying a lot that he didn't want to label something.

It was a night after he had asked Eames to Forge her and they were laying in bed once the PASIV was packed away. Arthur's head was rested on his lover's shoulder. It was weird to think of Eames as a lover, but there was nothing more accurate to call him at this point. One of Arthur's hands was resting on Eames' chest when the other man finally spoke. "Not to sound rude, Darling-"

"When do you not?" Arthur replied calmly and glanced up at the other with the smallest hint of a warm smile. Eames just rolled his eyes at Arthur. He wrapped one arm around the man who was laying on him, fingers just tracing little random designs into Arthur's bicep as he spoke.

"Well I mean, isn't it about time you gave up on her? She… wasn't even _your_ wife."

Arthur knew Eames wasn't being malicious, he'd learned to tell the difference by now. By all means he should move on. Should let it go. After all Cobb was off with his kids now and she was little more than a memory. Then again, he recalled some blond gentleman in cricketing gear from a show Eames occasionally watched say something about a man being the sum of his memories. He had to agree with that.

Arthur lifted himself so he could hover over Eames and look down at him. He was quiet for a moment, features softening just a moment from a bit of nostalgia. He leaned and kissed Eames forehead as if forgiving him for not understanding and then recited plainly enough "And the most she will do is throw shadows at you, but she's always a woman to me."


End file.
